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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — a company
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — a subject
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. scale — size or range
  22. firm — steady
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com